Cellular-seal floating-deck tank



Se t. 16, 1930. R: D. GEORGE CELLULAR SEAL FLOATING DECK TANK 4sheets-sheaf 1 Filed June 14, 1928 ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1930. D, GEORGE1,775,758

CELLULAR SEAL FLOATING DECK TANK Filed June 14, 1928 4 She ets-Sheet 2Sept. 16 1930. I D GEORGE 1,775,758

CELLULAR SEAL FLOATING DECK TANK Filed June 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3INVEN TOR lay w $22 A TTORNEY Sept. 16, 1930. R. D. GEORGE CELLULAR SEALFLOATING DECK TANK Filed June 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept.16, 11930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH D. GEORGE, OF KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR '10 ANDREW A. KRAMER,

OF IIANSAS CITY, MISSOURI CELLULAR-SEAL FLOATING-DECK TANK Applicationfiled June 14,

My invention relates tofloating deck tanks and more particularly to thesealing means between the floating deck and the slde wall of the' tank.The particular sealing means forming the subject matter of thisinvention comprises a plurality of gas-tight cells.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide sealing means between theperipheral edge portion of a floating deck in a tank and the side wallof the tank, comprising a plurality of independent gas-tight cells.preferably each comprise a shoe portion en gaging the side wall of thetank and an exansible and contractible portion extending between thedeck and said shoe.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide sealing means of theabove mentioned character that is expansible and contractible to fillthe gap between the deck and the tank and provide a gas tight sealbetween the peripheral portion ofthe floating deck and the side wall ofthe tank.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a seal made up ofoverlapping cell members that are so constructed and arranged that anyone of the cell members can be removed without dismantling' the wholeseal, this being accomplished by providing alternating cell members thatoverlap the intervening cell members instead of making all the cellmembers alike.

It is another purpose of my invention to make each of the cellscontractible and expansible independently of the others, and to soconstruct the same that these may be made entirely of metal, or partlyof metal and partly of gas tight flexible fabric, and which are sooverlapped and interfitted that said cells may each expand and contractindependently to conform with the side wall of the *tank and maintainthe gas tight seal between the deck and the tank.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood,however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the details ofstructureshown or described, but that I intend to include as vpart of myinvention all such obvious changes and modifications as would occur to aperson Said cells 1928. Serial No. 285,439.

skilled in this art and as would fall within cell member.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through v a pair of adjoining cellmembers, the section' being taken on a line corresponding to the line5-5 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of another form of sealing means inan expanded condition.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the form of sealing means shown inFig. 6 in contracted condition and Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional viewthrough one of the cells shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and portions of theadjoinin cells.

Referring in detail to t e drawings, in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is showna sealing means mounted between the side wall 10 of a tank and theupstanding rim portion 11 provided on'the deck 12 mounted for movementwithin the tank, said deck being adapted to float on the liquid in thetank. Said deck may be rovided with suitable stiflening or strengt e ingmembers 13 of any desired form or arrangement. The members 13 preferablyhave extensions 14 thereon that extend beyond the rim portion of thedeck. The deck 12 also preferably has an extension forming flan eportion 15, extending beyond the rim 11, said extension serving as a gasbubble directing or deflecting portion and as stop means-for the shoesas will be described below. The rim portion 11 at the lower end thereofis preferably provided with an inwardly inclined portion 16, joined tothe deck by means of the flange 17. A pivot flange 18 is preferablyprovided on the rim portion at substantially the point where theinclined portion 16 joins the vertical portion of said rim.

Each of the cells forming the sealing means comprises a shoe 19 engagingwith the side wall of the tank and having the upper portion 20 and thelower end portion 21 curved away from the said side wall to prevent theshoes from catching on any obstructions or offsets that may exist on thetank wall. Each cell is also provided with a hanger member 22, which maybe a flat sheet or plate of metal having the U-shaped channel clip oryoke 23 thereon, embracing the flange 18 and loosely hingedly connectedtherewith by means of the cotter pins 24. The shoes are hinged to thehanger membersat the upper ends thereof by means of the hinge members 25on the hangers having the paired cars 26 and the hinge members 27 on theshoes having the paired cars 28 cooperating with the ears 26 andconnected therewith by means of the hinge pins 29.

The shoe 19 will thus engage with the side wall of the tank by theaction of gravity and.

will be free to move toward and away from said side wall due to themounting thereof. The bottom end of the hanger plate 22 and the bottomend of the shoe 19 extend below the surface of the liquid in the tank,the surface of the liquid being indicated by the numeral 30. The spacesbetween the end edges of the shoes and hanger plates and the spacesbetween the top edges of the shoes and hanger plates are closed byflexible means forming expansible and contractible end and top walls forsaid cells.

In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive the said flexible wall portions are shown asbeing made of metal suitably corrugated to provide for the necessaryexpansion and contraction of said walls. While various arrangements ofcorrugations to accomplish this purpose may be provided, in thearrangement shown the to wall portion 31 of each cell is provided with aplurality of similar corrugations 32, said corrugations extending aroundthe rounded upper corners 33 of said cells. The cells shown in Figs. 1to 3 inclusive are the male cells, and these are provided with end wallsthat flare outwardly in a downward direction both endwise and sidewiseto form distortable end walls of a substantially semiconical shape, saidend walls being indicated by the numeral 34. The top wall member 32 ofeach cell is secured to the shoe portion 19 and the hanger plate 22 bymeans of suitable fastening devices such as the rivets 35 and the endwall members 34 are secured in a similar manner to said shoe and hangerplate by means of rivets 36. While many arrangements of corrugations toobtain the desired flexibility may be provided, in the form of theinvention shown, the end wall members 34 are provided with corrugations37 running substantially up and down on the same adj awalls and may alsoapproach each other upwa-rdly as shown in Fig. 1. The corrugations 37and, if desired, certain of the corrugations 38 may be continuations ofor align with the corrugations 32 at the upper ends thereof. Between thecorrugations 38 and the side corrugations 37 the end walls are providedwith uncorrugatcd portions 39 that are bowed outwardly. In order to holdthe end walls 34 in a bowed out condition the springs 40 having thecoils 41 are provided. The end portions 42 of the springs extend throughopenings in the ears 43 provided on the clips 44, which are mounted onthe hanger plates 22 and the shoes 19.

Accordion-like cells are thus provided and said cells are gas tight. Thelower ends of the wall portions 34 extend below the level of the liquidin the tank and thus seal off the surface of the liquid below each cellfrom the outer air and prevent escape of gas from the interior of thetank.

Alternating with the male cells described above are the female cellswhich are very similar in structure to the male cells, except that theend walls thereof are concave instead of convex and are not providedwith any spring means to distend the same. One of said female cells isshown in Fig. 4 and the same numerals are applied to the similar partsin Figs. 3 and 4. The end walls of the female cells are indicated by thenumeral 45 in Figs. 4 and 5 and have a complementary shape to the endwalls 34, tapering inwardly from the upper ends thereof so that therecesses formed therein are deeper and wider toward the bottoms thereofand are of a substantially semi-conical form. Said end walls arecorrugated in a similar manner to the end walls 34, as shown at 46 and47 in Figs. 4 and 5. The corrugations 46 however project inwardly tointermesh with the corrugations 38.

The end walls 34 and 45 thus interfit and the recessed ends of thefemale cells overlie and engage with the projecting end walls of themale cells throughout substantially the entire extent of said end walls34 to thus form a gas-tight joint between the cells no matter what theposition thereof may be. As all the cells are expansible andcontractible and as the lower ends of the shoes, hanger plates and endwalls of all of the same terminate below the level of the liquid in thetank, a gas-tight seal is provided thereby between the deck and tankwall.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a slightly different form of sealing means is shown,said sealing means comprising cells similar to those previouslydescribed and being mounted on the deck in a similar manner to thatdescribed in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. Aslightly different deck construction is also shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8,said deck comprising a panlike portion having a bottom 50, and anoutwardly inclined upwardly extending peripheral wall portion 51. Saiddeck is provided with any desired form of stiffening and reinforcingmeans 52, mounted above the bottom 50 thereof. The wall portion 51 isprovided with an inwardly extending flange 53 to which is bolted orotherwise secured the base flange 54 of the upstanding rim formingchannel 55 having the inwardly directed flange 56 at the top thereof.-Mounted on the inclined wall portion 51 is a channel member 57 having anoutwardly projecting downwardly inclined bubble directing and shoe stopflange 58. A slightly downwardly inclined short pivot flange 59 isprovided at the upper end of the channel 57.

The cells shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 comprise male and female ce'llmembers that are arranged in alternating overlapping relation similar tothose shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. Each of said cells comprises ahanger plate 60 having a substantially U- shaped channelled clip 61thereon loosely pivotally connected with the flange 59 by means of thecotter pins 62. Connected with the hanger plates 60 by means of thehinge members 63 are the shoes 64 engaging the side wall of the tank 65.Said shoes 64 are provided with outwardly curved upper ends 66 andoutwardly curved lower ends 67 and are in this respect substantialduplicates of the shoes 19 shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The cells in this form of the invention are provided with top closuremembers 68 of flexible gas-tight fabric secured to the top edge portionsof the hanger plate 60 and the shoe 64. and with the end closure members69 of gas-tight flexible fabric, secured to the members 60 and 64 bysecuring the edge portions 7 3 thereof under the inturned flanges 74 onsaid members. The members 69 are bowed outwardly on the male cellmembers and the endwise projection thereof increases from the upper tothe lower portions thereof similar to that of the end walls 34. Springs70 having the coils 71 and having the ends thereof mounted in the ears72 and the members 60 and-64 are provided for holding the projecting endwalls of the male cells in distended position. The end walls 69' of thefemale cells are recessed so that the same are complementary to the endwalls 69, and overlap and interfit with the same, the overlapped andinterfitting arrangement of the adjoining cells being substantially thesame as in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. The principaldifference between the two forms of cells shown is, thatthose in Figs. 1

to 5 are provided with flexible metallic end walls, while those in Figs.6 to 8 are provided with end walls of gas-tight flexible fabric.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to claim and secure byUnited States Letters Patent is y 1. The combination with a tank and apanlike deck movable therein of means for sealing the space between saiddeck and the side wall of said tank comprising a plurality ofsubstantially gas-tight hollow cells mounted between the peripheral wallof the deck and the side wall of said tank.

2. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substan- .tially gas-tight cells having thelower ends of the Walls thereof extending below the liquid level in saidtank and closed at the top thereof.

3. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substantially gas-tight hollow cells mountedon said deck and engaging said side wall, said cells being provided withgas confining means at the top thereof.

4. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of independently movable substantially gas-tight6. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substan tially gas-tight cells, said cellscomprising overlapping male and female cells.

, 7. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substantially gas-tight cells, said cellscomprising alilernating overlapping male and female ce s. I 1

8. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substantially gas-tight cells pivotallymounted on said deck.

9. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of aid tankcomprising a plurality of substantially gas-tight cells plvotallymounted on said deck and comprising shoes engaging the side wall of saidtank.

10. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of substantially gas-tight cells comprisingmembers pivotally mounted on said deck and shoes pivotally mounted onsaid members and engaging said side wall of said tank.

11. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of cells comprising members pivotally mounted onsaid deck, shoes pivotally mounted on said members and engaging saidside wall of said tank, flexible means connecting the upper portions ofsaid members. and shoes and flexible means closing the ends of saidcells.

12. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of cells comprising members pivotally mounted onsaid deck, shoes pivotally mounted on said members and engaging saidside wall of said tank, flexible means connecting the upper portions ofsaid membersand shoes and flexible means closing the ends of said cells,said last mentioned means on adjoining cells interfitting andoverlapping to provide a tight joint between adjoinin cells.

13. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of cells comprising members pivotally mounted onsaid deck, shoes pivotally mounted on said members and engaging saidside wall of said tank, flexible means connecting the upper portions ofsaid members and shoes and flexible means closing the ends of saidcells, said last mentioned means on alternate cells projecting endwisetherefrom and on the cells alternating therewith being recessed andoverlapping said projecting means.

14. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of cells comprising members plvotally mounted onsaid deck, shoes pivotally mounted on said members and engaging saidside wall of said tank, flexible means connecting the upper portions ofsaid members and shoes and flexible means closing the ends of saidcells, said last mentioned means on alternate cells projecting endwisetherefrom and on the cells alternating therewith being recessed andoverlapping said projecting means, the cells having the projecting meansbeing provided with resilient means tending to hold the projecting meansdistended.

15. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of interfittling overlapping substantiallygas-tight cel s.

16. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a (plurality of substantially gas-tight cells an means onsaid deck for directing gas toward said cells.

17. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein having aperipheral wall of means for sealing the space between said deck and theside wall of said tank comprising a plurality of substantially gas-tightcells mounted on said deck and comprising shoes engaging said side wall,and means projecting beyond the peripheral wall for limiting themovement of said shoes toward said deck.

18. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of expansible and contractible substantiallygastight cells and means on the deck for limiting the contraction ofsaid cells.

19. The combination with a tank and a deck movable therein of means forsealing the space between said deck and the side wall of said tankcomprising a plurality of independent substantially gas-tight chambershaving closed top portions and comprising members pivotally mounted onsaid deck and shoes pivotally mounted on said members and engaging saidside wall of said tank by the action of gravity.

20. The combination with a liquid storage tank and a deck movabletherein, of means for sealing the space between said deck and the sidewall of said tank comprising a plurality of substantially gas tighthollow members between said tank and deck and having open bottomportions extending into the liquid in said tank and being otherwiseclosed to provide gas confining sealing means.

21. A sealing member of the character described comprising an invertedhollow chamber having flexible end and top wall portions whereby saidchamber may be expanded and contracted.

22. The combination with a liquid storage tank and a deck movabletherein, of means for sealing the space between said deck and the sidewall of said tank comprising a lurality of substantially gas tightinverted 01- low chambers arranged in a circular series between saiddeck and tank.

' In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day ofMay, 1928.

. RALPH D. GEORGE.

